ok, so i didn't stay away long 
i am still not really interested in arguing back in forth with those who completely disagree on our strategies and theory, but i can answer questions, that is no problem
regarding your post of questions, most of the answers for which can be found on our site...
"I just got done reading all your posts for the last few months and thought you have some great ideals. after i develop a great dirt mix. how many wood stacks do you generally use? do you build from the cage floor so the uros don't dig under them? How far is the top wood stack from your basking bulb? how many 45 watt bulbs and 90 watt bulbs do you use in the 4x2x2 water troughs.do you put the heat tape on the outside of the water troughs. also i found a field on my buddys farm here in Kentucky with lots of ground hogs. the dirt should work good, we have very humid summers here so i don't think it should dry out bad. sorry so long but have you got any ideals yet concerning your uros food. mine do not care for colard greens but love turnip greens and mixed veggies. they also love their crickets and superworms. Thanks Greg"
so some answers
-wood stacks- you use however many you need to get up to the light. whatever size you need, whatever gap you need. typically 3-6 or so. i might drop the dirt level down a bit directly under the light, so that we can add a few more stacks, but typically they are just placed on top of the dirt.
-we use a single 45 watt flood halogen in the 4 ft troughs. giving us basking temps up to 150 (depending on the distance from the bulb, shoot it with your Temp Gun
). the top of the stacks are only 3-4 inches from the bulb. FOLKS HAVE TO USE GIANT WATTAGE BULBS (150 watt and up) BECAUSE OF THE LONG DISTANCE FROM THE LIGHT TO THE BASKING SPOT. for those with troubles, read about our temp guns and digital thermos in the FAQ, it is right there for you "raising your basking spot from a mediocre 95F to 130F is often as simple as raising your basking spot 6 inches" ELEVATED BASKING SPOTS!!! it is not a "secret" but very few people "get it"
-we use heat tape on the outside of the metal troughs, starting at about the soil line (but running below it). for a 4 ft trough, i will put it on one end, typically two stacked strips, 12-14 inches long. that way you can run 0,1, or 2, depending on your soil temp needs. set it up, let it run for a day, and then dig in there and temp it out with your Temp Gun. you will see the temp gradient as it goes from high 90's right at the heat tape, and fades away to room temp the further you get from the tape. the animals can dig, burrow, and nest at whatever temp soil they want, and believe me, they can pick EXACTLY what they need, they apparently have a built in temp gun
-preventing soil from drying out is related to how much venting you have in the cage. you need SIGNIFICANTLY LESS than you would think. we used to have ventilation slots, and fans, and all that, and that was just boneheaded. all those vents and fan holes have long since been closed up. you can pretty much seal up your cage, and the spots you missed (the narrow gaps around lids and such) will still be plenty of ventilation.
-diet- we haven't done anything extraordinary with diet, just all you can eat veggies, 6 days a week. MinerAll supplementation just about every day. the new MinerAll vitamin a couple of times a week. frozen mixed veggies, mixed with leafy greens from the regular grocery store (no spinach). we are still looking to expand that to maximize nutrional content and calcium/phosp ratios.
let me know if that answered your questions, sorry for the delay!
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robyn@proexotics.com
